


Sand and Waves

by Bassarid



Series: There was a Country by the Sea [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/F, Little Mermaid AU, M/M, Pining, description of pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-21
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-18 23:57:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 18,781
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9408392
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bassarid/pseuds/Bassarid
Summary: Otayuri little mermaid au! Mermaid (or -boy) Yuri falls hopelessly in love with human prince Otabek.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is inspired by H.C. Andersen's original, but will deviate wherever I feel like it. Other inspirations are of course Ariel, because it's impossible to ignore when thinking about mermaids, but also Malá Morská Víla, a 1976 Czech film that is the most beautiful Little Mermaid adaptation ever. 
> 
> I'd also like to direct everyone's attention to [this beautiful mermaid Yuri design.](http://joodlepot.tumblr.com/post/156065156241/im-like-100-sure-this-au-exists-already-but-i)
> 
> I actually wanted to write a fairy au, but then somehow this happened. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Please tell me what you think!

Yuri couldn't wait for his sixteenth birthday. He'd already waited so long, too long, ever since he'd first realized there was a whole different world up there, outside the water. Glaring at the older princes and princesses as they waved at him whenever they left for the surface, laughing at his indignation.

“I want to go, too!”

“Your time will come, Yurochka, but you're still too young,” his grandfather always said, smiling benignly, caressing the top of his head.

“What is it like on the surface?” He had asked so many times, but his grandfather never got tired of indulging him with tales of wind and sun and clouds and strange fish that could sing, which Yuri found hard to imagine, and ships, which he knew, from the strange skeletal husks rotting at the bottom of the sea. He'd explored a few of them, whenever he could sneak away from social functions and tutoring. Most of the ships were empty, curios having been taken by others long ago. Once he'd found half a bottle. They were common curios, but he'd been excited nevertheless, until he'd cut himself on it.

His grandfather had taken care of the cut, shaking his head, but he would not talk to the merking about it, even though he chided Yuri for it.

“Tell me about humans again.”

“They are strange, and dangerous. Once a fisherman almost caught me in a net. You have to be careful once you're up there, little pearl.”

Fishermen. Humans caught fish, that much he knew. He'd once, long ago, asked why there weren't more humans in the sea if they caught fish, and his grandfather had almost not laughed, and then told him that humans died if they were underwater for too long, for they didn't have any gills and could only breathe through their mouths and nose. And that they didn't have fins or tails with which to swim easily. 

Yuri had wondered how his grandfather knew all these things, but the old man had just given him a smile when Yuri had inquired further.

Now he knew that humans used the ships to stay on the surface of the sea, though Yuri wasn't entirely sure how that worked.

He had heard stories about ships sinking and humans falling into the sea, had heard that the remains of dead humans sometimes sank all the way down to the bottom of the ocean, but had never witnessed something like it, or known someone who had. 

When he could, he spent hour after hour inspecting the curios the merking had amassed. Many of them were rotting easily just like the ships and thrown out every so often. But some were made of stone, and some of other hard, smooth materials which didn't rot, but sometimes changed colours after a while, becoming less smooth. Many were, or at least looked, broken. Yuri couldn't make sense of most of them.

There were a few statues though, showing humans in all their strangeness, with their odd extremities. Yuri studied them often, grave-looking creatures, not too unlike merfolk, until you came to their lack of fins and tails.

“Legs,” Georgi told him smugly, one time he'd found Yuri staring at the statues. 

“I know what legs are. Crabs have them,” he'd huffed, glaring at the older prince, but curiosity had kept him from swimming off in a huff. “What is it like, up there?”

Georgi had been allowed to swim to the surface for years, and just shrugged. 

“There's land outside the water, a lot of it. Humans use their legs to move across it. I've seen them. It's where they live.”

“I thought they had ships?” Yuri had asked quizzically, making Georgi laugh, and him, in turn, glare.

“You won't understand until you see it.”

Yuri had stuck out his tongue and swum away, tail fin hitting Georgi for good measure.

But finally the day came. Yuri awoke on his sixteenth birthday and was wide awake immediately. There was a feast to attend, and congratulations, and speeches, but it all was lost on him, so excited it was almost unbearable.  
Finally, eventually, after what felt like a thousand years, he was allowed to rise up, tail propelling him towards the surface with all the power he had.

The sensation of his head breaking the surface was unlike anything he could have anticipated. A part of him was no longer under water. Weird.

The surface shone red with the light of the setting sun, and Yuri had to shield his eyes and sink a little lower again, but marvelled at all the new impressions anyway.

After a while, when the sun had sunk almost into the sea – or so it looked, but that couldn't be right, he would have seen it down there – he finally had a look around. Where were the ships?

He swam a little this way and that, enjoyed the wind – no one had ever been able to describe it to him in a meaningful way, and now he knew why.

Finally he saw one of the strange singing fish, swimming above him, but it didn't sing at all. The sound it made was rather jarring, and Yuri shuddered.

No ships so far, no humans. He was determined to find them, though, he had to. It was what he had really come for, after all.

And then, finally, he was rewarded.


	2. Chapter 2

The ship was nothing like the drowned husks down at the bottom of the sea. It was splendid, brightly illuminated, sails full, bow parting the water ever so gently as it was gliding through it. Yuri could see and hear humans, too, to his utter delight.

He swam closer, hiding behind a rock.

There were many of them on the ship, talking to each other, laughing. One was leaning on the ship's rail, looking down at the water. Yuri studied him closely, found that he was quite unable to take his eyes off the human. He looked young, at least if he had been a merman he would have been little older than Yuri. Dark hair fell into his face and he had quite the same serious expression he'd seen on the statues.  
He was disappointed that he could not see any legs from his vantage point, though. Maybe he could follow the human ship for a while?  
It was his first time on the surface, after all, they couldn't be expecting him back so soon.

It was easy to keep up with the ship, even though he had to be careful not to be spotted.

“Prince Otabek.”

Another human approached, speaking to the human he had been watching – his human, Yuri thought. He'd seen him first.

“Lord Nikiforov?”

His human turned away and spoke to the other, whose hair was pale as pearls. Yuri couldn't hear them, they'd lowered their voices, but now he knew that his human was a prince, too. And his name was Otabek.

Yuri kept following the ship, catching glimpses of his human every now and then. Fewer humans were visible now, having vanished somewhere inside the ship. When he could no longer find his human among the few remaining, Yuri finally wondered if he should return home.

After all, he could come back to surface whenever he wanted now.

The next moment he noticed the first flash of light in the distance, wondering what it was. A noise followed, unlike any he'd ever heard, as though the sky itself was breaking apart. Yuri ducked below the waves, went under, where things were quieter and calmer, but both curiosity and dread pulled him back up again.

The wind had gotten heavier, the sea around him rough now, pushing and shoving in a way it never did down below, even if you accidentally swam into a current.

In a matter of minutes the ship was swaying and tossing on the waves. Water started falling from the sky overhead, to Yuri's confusion. The humans on the ship were calling out to each other, voices panic-stricken. Higher and higher were the waves that lifted the ship up, and it came crashing down fiercely each time.

Now Yuri knew how all the dead ships had ended up down at the bottom of the ocean. He watched, in horror and awe, as the humans battled against the storm, freezing when he heard a shrill voice call “Otabek!”  
And he saw the figure fall, over the side of the ship, landing with a splash in the dark water.

Yuri had pushed himself forward before his brain had even fully understood what was happening, dived, scanning the turbulent sea with eyes that were luckily used to the dark.

It took too long, much too long, making him want to scream in frustration and fear.

But finally he spotted the dark figure, struggling feebly, and Yuri's heart started racing as he wondered how long until humans died in the water.

He caught him around the chest and dragged the surprisingly heavy weight up to the surface, holding the human's head over water. 

The human prince took deep, gulping breaths, and Yuri sighed in relief. Once he was certain that his human was alive, Yuri looked around for the ship, and discovered with a start that the storm had already dragged it far off.

“I can't take you down with me. You'd die,” he muttered, looking at the half-conscious man in his arms. “What should I do?”

There was land, Georgi had said, lots of it. He only had to find it. Humans lived there.  
That was, if Georgi had known what he was talking about.

Yuri frowned.

“Otabek,” he said softly. The human's lashes fluttered slightly, but he didn't open his eyes. Yuri stroked some hair out of his face, watching him for a while as the waves calmed down around them.

Slowly, Yuri started propelling them forward, tail fin swishing hard from side to side, arms tight around his human's chest. He had no idea where he was going, but followed roughly in the direction the ship had taken before the storm.

The sky was lightening by the time he finally spotted land. It was the first time in swimming for hours that he paused, the sight rendering him quite speechless.

Land.

He had no words to describe the strangeness of the sight, tall, bright green weeds swaying in the breeze beyond the sand, and off in the distance, buildings unlike any he'd ever encountered under the sea.

He swam closer, still holding the human, his human, close to him.

“I've found you land, Prince Otabek.”

And suddenly his fin hit sand and Yuri had to drag the human prince laboriously out of the water, exposing all of himself to the air, the strangest feeling imaginable. Not exactly comfortable.

He lay Otabek down onto the soft sand just as the sun was coming up. 

For the first time he could take in the sight of him in its entirety. Yuri's eyes wandered over the human's form, staring at the legs for a moment. Better than a fin to navigate land, he supposed. But still decidedly odd. Also – not like crab's legs, after all.

Then his gaze travelled back to the prince's face.

He was beautiful. 

Yuri knew he'd have to leave soon, he was sure he'd already been out for far too long, he'd never hear the end of it.

And he was tired, exhausted.

But he leant forward instead, stroked some hair out of the prince's face and pressed his lips tentatively to the human's forehead.

When he raised his head again, the human's eyes fluttered open, and for a second or two a pair of soft brown eyes looked at Yuri, and Yuri stared back, not knowing what to do at all.

Then a sound in the distance made him flop pathetically backwards a little; he could see other humans in the distance, seated on large four-legged creatures.

Yuri crawled back into the sea and swam as far out as he could while still keeping an eye on the prince.

The other humans eventually spotted Otabek, one getting down from their mount and kneeling beside the prince. 

Yuri felt a pang of envy as the other human stroked his human's face and hair, and turned away, diving under with more splashing than was necessary, and finally made his way back home.

Where he indeed received the telling off of a lifetime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update will probably not be quite as fast as this one.  
> I'm not sure yet about an updating schedule, it depends on how busy work will be. But I'm hoping I can make it twice a week or so.


	3. Chapter 3

Yuri didn't tell anyone about the encounter with the human prince. Not even his grandfather. In the days and weeks that followed, Yuri could think of little else but the soft brown eyes looking into his, wondering if his human was alright, where he was now, what he was doing – what were humans doing all day, anyway?  
Did a human prince have to adhere to stupid protocol, too, listen for hours to lectures about the history of his people, learn wistful old songs?  
A few times he made the long journey to the shore where he'd left the prince, in the vain hope to see him again. Watched ships for any sign of the human, but lost hope after several months of this without any success.  
Yuri grew gloomy and listless, daydreaming a lot of the time, not caring for his studies at all.

“Isn't it time for you to tell someone what's on your mind?”

“Chris!”

Yuri had spun around, he had thought himself quite alone, drifting through the royal gardens.

“It's... none of your concern.”

Chris just gave him his most winsome smile. Damn Chris and his smiles. How he had ended up at the merking's court, Yuri didn't know. Wasn't sure he wanted to know.

“Maybe I can help.” He swam around Yuri in slow, graceful circles, making Yuri dizzy until he stopped watching him.

“As if.”

“I know lovesick when I see it. I've been there. I've also been the cause of it. Who better to unburden your heart to than me?”

Yuri just snorted.

“I am not lovesick!”

He propelled himself upward, away from a surprised Chris.

“And I wouldn't talk to you about it if I were!”

He swam up to the surface once more, sat on a rock, staring at the rough sea, thoughts in turmoil. Something had to be done, something had to happen. Going on like this wasn't a possibility.

“Come on. There must be something I can do.”

Yuri almost flopped sideways off his rock.

“Why are you following me?” 

“Because everyone is worried, Prince Yuri.”

Chris looked up at him, head just sticking out of the water.

“Don't try to guilt me into telling you anything.”

For a while, Chris just watched him and Yuri stared off into the distance adamantly.

“I once met a very attractive human, you know.”

Yuri blushed, but kept his gaze trained resolutely away from him.

“Do I look like I care about your sordid goings-on?”

“He was diving for pearls. I was very smitten – he had the kind of smile that makes you weak. I brought him all the pearls he could ask for.”

Yuri didn't reply, but it was hard not to ask 'and then what happened?'

“But finally I had to accept that it was a folly. And that there are merpeople, too, whose smiles can make you weak.”

Yuri rolled his eyes..

“Great advice!” 

“But honest.” 

Yuri swished his tail fin angrily, letting it hit the water, showering an unimpressed Chris with drops of water.

“Just leave me alone.”

“As you wish, dear prince. But if you feel like talking about it – you know where to find me.”

With that, Chris dove under, vanishing from sight in a matter of seconds.

Yuri kept sitting there, head in his hands, staring at the waves, until he spotted a boat in the distance, and because there was nothing better to do and he was feeling restless and bold, he slid into the water and swam towards it, careful of the net trailing it. 

Only when he was very close did he let his head rise out of the water, just far enough to be able to overhear the two fishermen.

He listened to their conversation for a while, only half interested, when he suddenly heard one of them say:

“Duke Nikiforov is visiting again.”

It took Yuri a second to place the name, then remembered that his human had addressed the other man on the ship like that. His attention peaked, and he kept even closer to the boat.

“Why so formal, Leo? He told us we could call him Viktor.”

“Yeah, but he was drunk and half-naked, I'm not sure he'd remember.”

The second speaker chuckled.

“I still can't believe Phichit dragged us to the spring market with a duke.”

“Don't get too impressed. It's just a title.”

“Ah, Leo. Don't be jealous.”

“I'm not!” A small cough, before the first speaker continued: “I'm just worried, I heard he is quite the player.”

They were silent for a while, and Yuri wanted to yell at them to stop talking about unimportant things and finally mention his prince.

“It didn't look like he was interested in anyone but Phichit's friend Yuuri,” the second speaker said after a while.

“Maybe.”

“And I'm definitely not interested in anyone but you.”

Next to the boat, Yuri had to stop himself from trying to push the entire damn thing over.

“Guang Hong...”

“Anyway, what's Vi... Duke Nikiforov doing here?”

“From what Phichit said, he's chaperoning the Princess of Babicheva. She is visiting Prince Otabek. You know it was her who found him after he'd been lost at sea.”

Yuri's heart missed a beat.

“Can you see that one chaperoning anyone?” The second speaker laughed. “So – do you think there will be a royal engagement?”

“Might be. I mean, why else would the princess visit our prince?”

“Oh, do you think it was love at first sight? Her, leaning over his lifeless form, stroking his hair, and when he opened his eyes and looked deeply into hers, he knew she was the one?”

The first speaker snorted with laughter.

“You're almost too sweet, Guang Hong.”

“We should go see Phichit soon, I'm sure he knows more.”

Their conversation started to drift off, and Yuri wasn't listening any more, but playing their words over in his mind. 

_Engagement._

The word lay horribly heavy inside him, making him feel sick.

It had been him. He had been stroking the princes' hair, it had been his eyes the prince had looked into.

And him who had known Otabek was the one.

He followed the boat all the way back to the shore, wanting to find out at least where his princes' dominion lay.

It was far away from the shore where he'd left Otabek that morning, but too his surprise it was much closer to the merking's palace than he'd expected.

What he was going to do with the knowledge, though – he didn't know.


	4. Chapter 4

The room was quiet, and Yuri swam silently over to where Chris was bending over some documents.

“Alright, talk to me.”

Chris' head whipped around.

“Prince Yuri! You gave me quite the start.” But he smiled, a smug, pleased smile Yuri wanted to wipe off his too handsome face.

He waited for Chris to say something, but Chris just looked up at him, eyebrows raised.

“He might be getting married!” Yuri spat out eventually.

“I think I might need a little more information than just that,” Chris replied calmly.

Reluctantly, Yuri sank down next to him and told him the whole story, not looking at Chris throughout. He was sure the idiot was smirking.

When he'd finished, though, and Chris still wasn't saying anything, Yuri turned his head, finding Chris' expression more thoughtful and serious than he'd expected.

“Is it the first time you've felt like this?”

Yuri nodded curtly.

Chris sighed.

“It's a shame that this should happen with a human. But it'll pass. I know it hurts now, but...”

“It'll pass? That's your great advice? Tch!”

The look Chris gave him changed from surprise at the outburst to something almost like pity.

“What do you expect, my prince? A cunning disguise that'll hide your tail, so we can smuggle you into the human prince's palace? Do you think he'll fall helplessly in love with you, to the point where he won't care that you're not human?”

Yuri felt like hitting him, and it must have shown, for Chris raised his hands placatingly.

“Think about it. I know it's painful, but believe me when I say it'll pass. It may not feel like it now, but it's only a crush. The first among many. Years from now you'll look back on this and wonder what you were ever thinking.”

But Yuri just pushed himself up, made a rude gesture and swam off.

He was angry about Chris' words, and knowing that some of the stupid advice was probably true did not help in the slightest.

*************************

It was hard for Prince Otabek to get away from everyone else for a bit. He was the future king after all, there were duties, appointments, his schedule didn't allow for a lot of free time.

But he had finally managed to find an hour to himself and ridden out on Alma, who was tethered downhill now, grazing calmly, while Otabek sat on a rock outcrop overlooking the sea.

Ever since the night he'd almost drowned, he'd found himself strangely drawn to the sea. It wasn't something he could explain, but the sight and sounds were suddenly soothing, calming. He should be wary at least, of a force so unpredictable, he thought with a small frown, but there was nothing but a faint longing.

For most of his life he had lived in a castle overlooking the sea, but he'd never felt like this before.

The sea could have killed him. It hadn't. 

Something – someone had saved him.

He hadn't mentioned it to anyone, it was too far-fetched. Even though fishermen and sailors told many stories...

Otabek had never believed them. As a child he'd spent a lot of time swimming, looking for evidence.

It was ridiculous. Silly.

And yet...

Before Mila had shaken him, all burning hands on his cold skin, he could have sworn there had been someone else on the beach with him. He vaguely remembered eyes that were much greener than the princess', and a soft voice, too deep to have been hers, whispering his name.

And how else could he have survived? He'd fallen overboard miles away from land, had been unconscious, or barely conscious, and yet he hadn't drowned.

It had been almost half a year, and still he couldn't let it go. The same thoughts, over and over, without ever coming to a conclusion.

But perhaps he was just trying to distract himself from the other matter. Not that it wouldn't make itself known anyway.

The upcoming visit was preying on his mind. Duke Nikiforov, whom he liked even though he was a little pompous, and Princess Mila. They were visiting to join in his birthday celebration, officially.  
Inofficially, though – well, the duke had probably seen this as the perfect excuse to visit the young man who'd stolen his heart. It wasn't much of a secret that he was head over heels in love with a commoner. As for Princess Mila – well, Otabek had always known there'd be some kind of political marriage, eventually. It was how things were done. 

And Mila was sweet. Lively, social. A lot of things he wasn't, and he liked her well enough. Their countries shared a small border, the alliance would benefit everyone.

The king and queen were very happy about the prospect, that he knew, even though they had not actually talked about it yet. But the way things were going, it was only a matter of time.

Otabek had no real reason not to want the union, nothing tangible, nothing plausible, only the vague, nagging sensation that it just didn't feel right.

Coming here might have been a mistake, he thought, as he got to his feet and made his way down to his mare. Alma nickered as he came close, and he stroked her neck before mounting, and they made their way back to the castle.

There was a lot to do after all, and maybe that would finally take his mind off things.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is very short and I don't quite like the way it turned out, but there will be more soon and there'll finally be some action! Also I hope the POV-change in mid-chapter isn't too off-putting.  
> Thank you for all the lovely comments, they are very appreciated! ♥


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm alone at work and nothing is happening at all, so have a very early update.

For a few weeks he battled with himself, Chris’ advice lingering in his mind, unbidden. He looked at other merpeople, looked, clandestinely, at other humans, but no one and nothing made him feel like the human prince. 

It was madness, and yet…

There was one way, one option to explore, for a small chance at pursuing his heart’s desire.

*********************

The cave was far from the merking’s palace, due to… differences. 

Yuri had never dared go there before. No one he knew had, though everyone knew about it. Talking in hushed whispers about _her_.

It was impossible to miss, though. The gigantic skeleton of a whale marked the place like an omen. Or a warning.

Nevertheless, he didn’t hesitate when he swam inside. 

_Don’t show fear._

“Sea witch! I need your help!” His voice was louder than intended, more demanding. Not a wise move, perhaps.

“I know.” The voice from the depth of the cave sounded deeply unimpressed.

“You know why I came?” Yuri peered into the darkness, trying to make out more than vague shadows.

“I do. It is foolish at best, you know that, don’t you, little princeling?”

Slowly the figure rose out of the shadows, much taller than Yuri, thin, her pale face all angles. Sharp was the word that came to mind. And strangely ageless.

“It is serious magic you want. Difficult. Dangerous. It will come at a serious price.”

Yuri bit his lip.

“What do you want?”

“Me?” The sea witch laughed. “I want many things, but what I want is immaterial. The sea demands. And she can be cruel and wayward. Are you sure you are willing to give whatever she wants?”

He frowned.

“What’s the price for becoming human?”

She came closer, and he could finally see her in her entirety. He couldn’t help stare; he’d never seen someone like her.

Medusoid, translucent, shimmering in pearly blues, long tentacles moving disconcertingly in the dark. Strangely soft and sinuous in comparison to the sharpness of face and upper body. A denizen of a much deeper part of the ocean. What had brought someone like her here?

“It’s complex magic you want, little princeling. Come back in a week, I’ll have it figured out by then.”

“A wee…”

The look she gave him silenced Yuri.

“A week then,” he muttered, and she nodded magisterially, dismissing him with a brief wave of a long-fingered hand.

A week.

He’d waited so long now, half a year had passed already, another week wouldn’t matter now, would it?

It was the longest week of his life. He hated waiting, all pent-up energy without a means of release. Chris kept trying to engage him in conversation, but he’d always slip away, hide, or spend more time with his grandfather, who didn’t comment on Yuri’s nervous excitement, even though Yuri noticed the concern in his eyes time and again. He felt guilty about it, about leaving without saying good bye, but he had made up his mind. And he couldn’t tell anyone about it. They’d only try to stop him. He just hoped his grandfather wouldn’t worry too much.

A few times he scouted the shore that would be his entrance to the human prince’s dominion. High above the beach, on a high rock, stood a large, towering building, almost the same colour as the sand below it. It had to be the prince’s palace, Yuri was almost sure of it. He tried not to worry about what to do once he was human. He’d find a way. Becoming human was the much greater obstacle, and he’d found a way to overcome it, hadn’t he? Everything else he’d figure out after.

****************************

“Your voice.”

“My voice?” Yuri frowned at the sea witch.

“Your voice for a human body. And believe me, it is a small price, considering. It could be so much more. The sea is gentle with you.”

“But how can I tell him…” His voice trailed off, and the sea witch didn’t react to his muttering, just hovered there, tentacles swirling in the water, giving away an air of impatience.

Yuri pushed his chin forward, jaw set, and shrugged.

“Fine. Whatever. What do I do?”

She handed him a small vial, and Yuri turned it in his hands, studying it. The liquid inside was disappointingly ordinary, no colour, no glow, perhaps slightly more viscous than pure water. 

“Drink it. And beware the limitations of your new body – don’t drown.”

Yuri nodded.

“Thank you,” he said after a moment, remembering his manners for once.

She just looked at him, her gaze unfathomable.

“We’ll see about that.”

With the vial clutched tightly in his hand, Yuri swam to the shore, got as close to land as he dared. The sun was just rising, silver light spilling over the sand, the brightness of it all making him squint.

The beach was deserted, and he swam until he sat in the shallow water, hidden behind a small rock. He stared at the vial in his hand for a moment, then unstopped it and drank it all before he could change his mind. It was faintly bitter, tart, burning its way down his throat, swirling oddly inside his stomach.

Nothing happened for so long that Yuri was starting to doubt the sea witch’s magic, when suddenly, without warning, pain never felt before speared through him, sharp and piercing. He curled together until he was almost bent double, water lapping at his mouth and cheeks. The pain came and went in waves, and in spite of it he could feel the change, scales turning to skin, cold skin, shivering in the water. Yuri wheezed, screaming as another flash of white hot pain seared through him, but no sound came from his lips. He felt faint and sick, and water was leaking from his eyes.

With more power than he thought he had left, Yuri dragged himself out of the water and onto the beach, shaking with pain and cold, lying there, unable to move any more. Maybe the sea witch had betrayed him, maybe he was dying here. It had to be better than the pain, though.

And then finally, mercifully, everything went dark and quiet, and Yuri couldn’t feel anything any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure the sea witch had enough of Lilia to actually add her to the character tags, but I had her in mind while writing her. For an idea of what the rest of her looks like, have [this picture of a jellyfish on a random tumblr](http://sleepypsychedelia.tumblr.com/post/21057716659).


	6. Chapter 6

Otabek enjoyed early mornings, they were serene, a brief respite before the day truly started.

As so often as of late, he made his way down to the water, just as the sun was rising.

Enthusiastic barking greeted him along the dunes, and the duke’s dog came racing towards him. Duke Nikiforov, Princess Mila, and entourage had arrived the previous day, and Otabek wasn’t sure how to feel about it at all.

The dog was precious, though.

“Hey there.” He patted him, and Makkachin licked his hand happily.

After a moment he spotted Viktor in the distance, followed by Yuuri Katsuki, who gave him a bashful look as they approached. Viktor didn’t seem to notice. He wondered if his presence on the beach was interfering with some kind of romantic early morning outing.

“Good morning, milord.” Yuuri bowed, and Otabek nodded at him.

“Morning, Prince Otabek. We didn’t expect anyone here this early.” The duke’s voice was cheerful in spite of the words, and behind him Yuuri blushed magnificently.

Otabek had to fight hard against a grin. Further embarrassment was avoided, however, when Makkachin started barking madly, racing down to the water’s edge.

“I think he’s got something,” Yuuri said, squinting at the dog in the distance.

They all turned to look at Makkachin.

“Flotsam?” Viktor suggested.

“No.” Otabek started running down to the water without another word, and sure enough, his eyes had not deceived him, it was a body, lying there just outside the waves.

“Don’t be dead,” he muttered, kneeling beside the lifeless form. The figure was lying face down, all Otabek could make out were thin, pale, stark naked limbs and long blond hair. He reached out and touched the figure gingerly. Cold as ice.

Makkachin barked again, started nosing a pale, bared shoulder, and to Otabek’s immense relief, the figure twitched. The blond head rose, and puffy, bright green eyes stared at the dog for a moment, before in a move so fast it had the prince taken aback, the boy – for it was definitely a boy – had scrambled back, losing his balance and falling over.

“It’s alright. He’s harmless. Stop it, Makkachin.” Otabek held him back by his collar as the dog made a move to follow the boy, tail wagging happily. “You don’t have to be afraid.”

Slowly, the boy turned his head around to look at Otabek, eyes widening.

The prince, too, could only stare. He knew that face, knew those eyes. But where?

“Are you hurt?” he asked after a moment, hearing the sounds of the other two men’s footsteps behind him. “You must be freezing. Here.” He took off his cloak and draped it around the narrow shoulders, while the boy still looked at him, then wrapped himself in the garment.

“Oh my, what happened to you?” Viktor exclaimed, making the boy’s head turn sharply, eyes narrowing. He opened his mouth, obviously trying to say something, but no words came out.

“What’s wrong with him?”

“Can he even understand us?”

“Why was he naked?”

Otabek ignored them, and held his hand out to the boy.

“You’re safe. No one will harm you. You must be cold – let me take you up to the castle, there’ll be clothes, food. I’m Prince Otabek.”

The boy nodded, once, then gestured at his throat.

“Can’t speak?”

Another nod, a grimace. Then he gingerly took the proffered hand and let himself be pulled to his feet, but sank back to his knees again at once.

“I don’t think he can walk all the way up to the castle, maybe we can take him to the inn, it’s closer,” Yuuri offered.

“Good idea, Yuuri!” Viktor exclaimed.

The boy’s head snapped up, staring at Viktor again, scowling, before he looked over at Yuuri.

Otabek wondered what that look was about, but he knew he wouldn’t find out any time soon. It didn’t matter right now. For some reason, he thought little of Yuuri’s suggestion.

“It’s alright, I can carry him.”

The boy gave him a startled look, blushing visibly.

“If that’s alright with you. I don’t think you’d make the way to the inn by yourself any more than the way up to the castle.”

A shrug, then a nod, and Otabek scooped him up carefully, blushing a little himself as the boy hid his face against Otabek’s chest.

“You’re not hurt, are you?”

He shook his head, looking up once, then back down with a sigh.

“Do you need any help?” Yuuri looked at them, and Otabek shook his head.

“He’s pretty light.”

It was true at first, but after a while, the weight in his arms grew heavier, especially uphill. It must have shown, for there was a gentle tug on his sleeve, and the boy started wriggling, until Otabek let him down, carefully, still holding on to him. The boy’s knees didn’t seem to give way this time, though he was shaky on his legs, insecure, clutching Otabek for support while he led him the rest of the way, with the duke, his companion, and a very happy Makkachin following them.

*****************************

“Who do you think he is?”

Otabek frowned at the figure now fast asleep in a bed in one of the few spare guest rooms that had still been available, the castle already full with birthday guests.

“No one I've ever seen before. I can ask Phichit, though, he knows a lot more people than I do,” Yuuri replied. 

After a moment, Otabek nodded.

“Please do so.”

“He looks like a newborn kitten, doesn't he?” 

Otabek did not think Viktor's comparison apt, but said nothing. 

The boy had reacted strangely to almost everything he'd encountered; the castle, clothes, food, even the bed had made him blink in confusion. Out of his depths, in some way. Clinging to Otabek as if he were a lifebuoy. He wondered if the boy had been shipwrecked, was perhaps a native of some foreign land. He understood their language, but that didn't have to mean much. Otabek himself was fluent in a few languages. Well, maybe more fluent in some than in others, but he could understand enough.

“But why was he naked?” Mila had joined them at once, and was looking at the boy with a slightly worried expression.

Viktor looked up at that, exchanging a serious glance with Yuuri.

“There were no signs of any injuries, the physician said. No one – hurt him,” Otabek managed to say as delicately as possible, and Mila's expression brightened noticeably. 

“He is beautiful, isn't he?” she said softly after a moment's silence. “What'll happen to him?”

“We'll figure it out when he's awake. For now he needs to rest. He looked dead on his feet.”

And with that he ushered everyone out of the boy's room, casting one last glance at the sleeping figure, wondering why he made him feel so stricken.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am torn between describing in loving detail all the things that must surely be weird for a merman-turned-human, and trying not to draw this out unnecessarily...

When he woke up, it took him a while to figure out where he was and what had happened. He sat up, rubbed his face, trying to combat confusion and disorientation. Then Yuri actually remembered and wished he hadn't. Cursed voicelessly, the only sound coming from his lips a slight huff. This was not how he had wanted to meet his human. Weak and needy, his new human body not yet fully under his control, and his head swimming with dizziness and confusion.

But at least he'd met the prince, small wonder. It had to be a good sign.

He took a deep breath. What should he do now? 

After a moment, Yuri pushed the bed cover off himself and started examining his legs. He moved them experimentally, the odd appendages as well, shaking his head at the weirdness of it all. Like fingers, only stubbier, and a lot more useless. 

He'd been made to wear human clothes, too, and found them too constricting, but apparently this was important for humans.

They were so much stranger than he'd ever thought.

Walking had been a lot harder than it looked, he felt so much heavier on land, graceless, every move cumbersome. 

But his prince had held him close, carried him, spoken to him in a soft, gentle voice. If only he could have replied. He'd ignored the other two humans and the strange creature that had startled him so upon regaining consciousness, until the light-haired man had said his name. He hadn't meant him, Yuri had figured that out after a moment's confusion, feeling irked that he had to share his name with the third man on the beach, who had been watching him with a mixture of worry and curiosity.

Yuri slumped back on the bed, sighing. Everything about being human was strange. He had been made to eat some kind of mush, the taste almost too much, though he'd been careful not to show it in front of the humans. And he had been too hungry to refuse, anyway. 

It was daunting to realize just how little he knew about humans. And yet he'd come so far. He couldn't let that hold him back. He'd just have to learn and be careful.

Yuri stretched, then stood, a little shaky still, but kept his balance. Walking was harder, even though humans made it look so effortless. He made it over to the window and looked out, hands on the window sill for balance, and his heart ached as he took in the view. This part of the prince's castle was towering right above the sea, dark blue waves rolling onto the beach below. If he'd jumped, he would have landed in the water. He took a step back at the thought, and as quickly as he could walked back to the bed, sinking onto it. Its softness was pleasant, and lying there he felt almost as weightless as underwater.

Yuri couldn't tell if he'd fallen asleep again, but he started when door was pushed open.

At the sight of his prince he smiled, but frowned when the two other men who'd been at the beach as well entered the room after him.

“How are you?” Prince Otabek asked, kneeling down beside the bed, and Yuri wanted to reach out and touch his beautiful, serious face. 

He gave a small, non-committal shrug. 

“I wish I knew your name, little foundling.”

Yuri perked up, looking at the two men hovering behind his prince. He pointed at the smaller, dark-haired man, then at himself.

The prince looked back at where he'd been pointing, then back at Yuri.

“Your name – it's Yuri?”

Yuri nodded happily.

“What a coincidence!” his namesake exclaimed, and Yuri frowned at him.

“That's confusing, though.” The other man – Duke something or other – looked at Yuri, scratching his head. “We could call him Yurio.”

Yuri glared at the duke, and Otabek smiled a little.

“I don't think he likes the idea.” The prince looked him in the eyes, and Yuri felt his face grow hot. “Yuri,” he said gently. “What happened to you? Were you shipwrecked?”

He shook his head.

“Are you from around here?”

Was he? Yuri gave a shrug.

“This isn't getting us anywhere, is it?” Otabek rubbed his head. “Is there some place you ought to be? Someone who misses you?”

 _Grandfather_ , he thought, biting his lip, but shook his head nevertheless.

“Mysteriouser and mysteriouser,” the duke said.

Yuri watched his prince, worry gnawing at him. He was so out of his depths. Some of it must have shown in his expression, because Otabek said:

“Don't worry. You can stay as long as you like.”

Yuri reached out and touched his arm briefly, smiling, whilst trying to ignore the brief exchange of glances between the other two men. Why were they even here?

“Shall I show you the castle? Are you up to taking a small walk?”

Yuri nodded – better to exercise his new legs as quickly as possible. 

They left the room, Yuri only slightly shaky on his feet, when he immediately backed against the prince and lost his balance as the weird creature came bounding towards him again. Otabek had his arms around him at once, holding him steady, and the duke said:

“Makkachin, sit!”

“He's a good dog, really, just enthusiastic when he likes someone,” the other Yuri said apologetically. “He wouldn't hurt a fly.”

The creature had indeed sat down at the duke's command, even though he gave an almost sad sounding whine.

“Maybe you two should take him for a walk on another route,” Prince Otabek said, kindly enough, but there was something in his voice that made very clear that this wasn't merely a suggestion. For a second or two, the duke looked like he wanted to protest, but the other Yuri just took his hand, pulling him away, the creature – dog – following at their heels.

“Perhaps we should find your charge," he heard the other Yuri say as the walked away. "Where is the princess, anyway? I haven't seen her all day.”

Yuri gave the prince a sideways glance, now firmly back on his feet, even though he had liked the man's arms around him.

“I don't have a lot of time, I'm sorry. But a quick tour should be alright.”

He smiled at Yuri, who smiled back, nodding happily. In lieu of the words to express his happiness, he took the prince's hand and squeezed it briefly, letting go again just as quickly.

This wasn't going too badly, he thought, as they made their way through the castle. Not badly at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imaginary cookies to everyone who finds the Alice in Wonderland reference. It's not particularly subtle, I know.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise POV-change! (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ

Mila wasn't a fool. She saw what was going on and was surprised by how little it bothered her. Then again, no one had actually talked about them getting engaged. Everyone seemed to know what the plan was, but it hadn't been discussed as such.

Not yet.

Of course, the prince's birthday was the perfect excuse to have them meet.

She liked Otabek well enough. When she'd found him on that beach that day, she'd been a little smitten. It hadn't lasted though. It rarely did.

She'd spent a few days here, and truth be told, the prince wasn't the best company. Oh, he was polite and kind, but also reserved, awkward, and at times seemed almost uncomfortable when she was around.  
At first Mila had thought that maybe it was only nerves, that Otabek was shy. But then the prince had found that strange boy on the beach, making her wonder just how often beautiful men got washed ashore these days.  
And she'd seen the way Otabek looked at him, and understood.

It only made her wonder if their parents would still push for the union if either of them expressed their disinclination to get married.

Would she have to play second fiddle to a lover throughout her marriage? Not a flattering thought. Not exactly how she'd imagined things when she'd been younger. In her dreams, things had always been so romantic, love sweeping her off her feet, without a doubt whatsoever.

With a heavy sigh, Mila stood up from where she'd been sitting in front of the vanity, staring at her reflection for several minutes without actually seeing. She could just as well use this opportunity to have some fun. Her so-called chaperone had gone off with his not particularly well-kept secret once more, and she was glad for it.

They were adorable together, though, she had to admit. Yuuri Katsuki blushed like a sunset at every little teasing word, and Viktor was so taken with him it was almost too much.

She put on a sensible dress and made her way through the castle, thinking of having a look at the town, when an excited voice positively squealed her name.

“Mila! It really is you!”

Then a figure came racing towards her, all bright smile and long dark hair, and Mila's eyes widened.

She opened her arms just as Sara crashed into her, almost toppling her over.

“You're taller than me now, not fair!”

“It's nothing but fair, I was smaller than you for a long time.”

Sara laughed and kissed her cheek.

“You still look just the same,” Mila muttered, shaking her head. She hadn't seen Sara in years. Too many years.

They'd attended finishing school together for a while, and in spite of their difference in age – Sara's sixteen to her twelve – they'd hit it off the moment they'd met. Little Mila had looked up to Sara, a count's daughter, all grace and poise and easy laughter, and Sara, apparently, had thought her funny. Had enjoyed all the mischief Mila regularly had got up to.

“Are you here for the birthday, too?”

Mila nodded. Should she tell Sara about everyone's plans for Otabek and her? No, no, there was no point – it was all unspoken, and too frustrating, it would just ruin the moment. Perhaps later.

“Is your brother here as well?”

Mila remembered Sara talking about her twin a lot, seeing him a few times when their family had visited, and the countless letters he'd sent to his sister.

He'd struck her as a little overbearing, to be honest.

“He is, but I managed to shake him off.” Sara winked and took her by the hand. “Have you seen the town yet? Let's take a look around.”

And just like that she was twelve again, looking up (only figuratively these days) to the beautiful girl who liked her, wondering to what good fortune she owed this.

They walked through town for a while, bought small cakes in a bakery, had a look at the cathedral – Sara had always been partial to architecture, pointing out details in a terminology that went right over Mila's head, but she smiled and nodded, happy that her friend was happy.

They ended up on the beach, bare feet buried in the sand, Sara's head on Mila's shoulder, just sitting there in comfortable silence, until Sara said:

“I'm so glad you're here. I've missed you after I'd left. And the company here is definitely a little too much on the male side. I was actually wondering if being invited here was a plot to set me up with the prince.”

Mila frowned, but said nothing. 

“So far Mickey has been rather useful to keep suitors at bay, but a prince...”

“You wouldn't want to get married?” Mila asked softly.

“To the right person. After all, only one brave soul ever asked me to marry her.”

“Eeek!” Mila buried her face in her hands, pushing Sara off herself in the process. “Don't bring that up! I was twelve, I didn't know what I was talking about.”

Sara gave an almost devious chuckle.

“But it was so sweet!”

They had found a book on famous Queen Elora and her consort, a Duchess. Mila had been utterly taken with the story, the illustrations of the two powerful looking, beautiful women. She'd said the words without thinking. Sara had looked startled at first, then burst into laughter. Mila had prayed for the ground to split open and swallow her whole.

“I was very flattered, but you were a little too young.”

“Aaargh.”

Sara laughed and pulled Mila close.

“Anyway,” she said, when she'd finally convinced Mila to show her face again, "I don't need some prince pushed at me. And Otabek is so... reserved. I wouldn't be able to deal with that.”

“Not around the right person,” Mila muttered without thinking, and Sara raised her eyebrows.

“What?”

“Oh, nothing.” Mila smiled at her. “Let's go back, it's getting late.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all like these two as much as I do! Next chapter will be back to the boys, though.
> 
> I typed this out from my notes last night when very tired already and read through it this morning, correcting a lot, but if I missed something, well - I make stupid typos when tired or otherwise distracted, you can always let me know if you find something.


	9. Chapter 9

It was strange how much lighter he felt around Yuri. Otabek hadn't even noticed how tense and downcast he'd been until the feeling was alleviated.

And Yuri truly was something else.

Only the other morning, Otabek had found the door to Yuri's room ajar and had looked inside, a little worried.

The sight that had greeted him had made him rub his eyes, but the vision hadn't vanished.

Every single cat in the castle had to be in the room, most of them crowding the bed, others on chairs, the window sill, or else lying on the floor where the sunlight streaming in through the window made bright, warm patches. There had to be at least a dozen, from the oldest, most battle-worn mousers, who always gave off an air of owning the castle, to small, thin cats so skittish they were hardly more than ghosts.

When Otabek had woken Yuri, accompanied by various hisses from his feline guests, the boy had just sat up and patted a few of them, fondling necks and ears of cats that would have torn anyone else's skin right off.  
Purring.

At his confused inquiry as to how this had happened, Yuri had merely shrugged and smiled. He was as fond of the animals as they were of him, and Otabek, though bemused, was simply happy to see him smile so brightly.

Apart from cats, Yuri only smiled at him.

Sometimes it made the prince's heart suddenly beat faster, watching the frowns and glares Yuri bestowed upon everyone else, and then he'd turn to him and break into a smile.

And even though it was at times difficult to communicate something specific when Yuri couldn't reply to him in words, on a more general level they just understood each other.

Yuri couldn't read or write, at least not any language or writing system Otabek was familiar with. He tried to teach him, but he already had so little time that they didn't get around to it often.

The boy still had strange reactions to a lot of things. The first time Otabek had suggested they take a ride on Alma, for instance, when Yuri had given the horse a wary, wide-eyed stare. He'd braved it, though, sitting in front of Otabek for a brief ride, though he was rigid throughout and looked faintly ill after dismounting.

“I'm sorry. Are you alright?” Otabek had touched Yuri's cheek gently, and the boy had given him a smile, nodding, though he had still watched the horse skeptically.

This was another strange thing. Something about Yuri made him want to touch him. He wasn't overly fond of touching, usually, avoided it if he could. But close contact with Yuri was – soothing. He held himself back, though, he didn't want to make Yuri uncomfortable, push him away with his clinginess. It was enough to have him near.

The nature of their relationship was hard to define for Otabek. Yuri had dropped into his life all of a sudden, out of nowhere, and he knew virtually nothing about him. But in the few days they'd spent together, Otabek already felt like the boy was a big part of his life, and he was worried about the possibility that one day someone might come and claim Yuri as their lost son or brother. Or else, that Yuri might just decide to leave.

He looked happy enough for now, though. Otabek just wished he could find the words to tell Yuri how he felt without sounding utterly foolish.

“It's my birthday in a week – I guess you've gathered as much from everyone talking about it.”

Yuri nodded, watching him.

“There's going to be a feast. A celebration all day long, there'll be a fair, I was wondering if you'd like to join me? I know you're not fond of crowds, but it could be fun. There'll be music, artists, a ball later on...” He felt himself blush under Yuri's intense gaze, relieved when he finally smiled and nodded.

“Just pinch me if it's too much and you want to leave.”

Yuri snorted at that, and nodded again.

“Good. I'm glad.”

*  
“Well, I've never seen him before, and I'd remember someone this cute.”

Yuri glared at the young man Viktor and Yuuri had made him meet.

“Oh well, worth a try.”

The prince, as far as Yuri could tell, looked relieved. He wondered what that was about.

“Maybe he was just born out of sea-foam, like Aphrodite,” Phichit said.

Viktor snorted, while Yuri just kept frowning.

“Don't tease him, he always gets that look,” Yuuri said. “And he has an army of cats at his disposal.”

Viktor just laughed harder, and Yuri very much wanted to kick him, but the last time he'd tried he'd lost his balance, standing only on one leg, and the experience had been horribly embarrassing.

“Anyway, I gotta rush. Practice. You'll come to my show tomorrow, right?” He gave a small bow to Otabek. “Your majesty?”

Otabek nodded.

“Of course.”

Ever since the prince had asked him to accompany him to his birthday party, Yuri had been looking forward to it very much. It had sounded important to Otabek that he be there, which had made Yuri happy, and a little proud.  
Things were going well, all in all.

Even though the princess the fishermen had talked about showed up on occasion, neither she nor his prince seemed overly interested in the other.

She was troublesome, though, always smirking at Yuri like she knew exactly what was going on inside him and teasing him almost as badly as the duke. She'd even had the audacity to grab him and lift him into the air when he'd scowled at something she'd said.

Otabek had saved him, but even he had smiled, and Yuri had pouted for the rest of the afternoon, but he couldn't stay mad at Otabek for long.

Luckily, the princess was usually off with her countess-friend and didn't bother him too often.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a filler chapter, but drama is going to unfold sooooon~


	10. Chapter 10

The day of the prince's birthday dawned beautifully, skies clear and blue, a perfect autumn day. The castle had been busy, hectic those last few days, even Yuri had noticed the hustle and bustle all around, though he'd tried to stay clear of it.

When the prince knocked on his door that morning, in spite of it being ajar for the cats, Yuri was already wide awake.

This was the day, he could feel it. So far he'd let everything just happen, had been overwhelmed and happy enough with the way things had been going, but today he'd make the prince his. Definitely, irrevocably his.

He started by beaming at him, moving over and wrapping his arms around Otabek. It was his birthday after all, and he did not have words to congratulate him with. The prince's arms were around him after a moment's surprise, and Yuri held on to him longer than was strictly necessary.

“Can I interpret this as a 'happy birthday'?” Otabek asked, when Yuri had stepped back a little, watching the prince's happy, slightly flushed face with satisfaction.

_Mine._

He nodded.

“Thank you.” He looked a little sheepish, then added: “Since it's a special occasion, I thought you might want to wear something other than my hand-me-downs, so I took the liberty to, uhm... here.”

He held out a small bundle Yuri hadn't noticed before. He took it, unfolding the garments.

“I do hope you like them.”

Shirt and trousers, no surprise there, but the red and black, combined with a subtle iridescence of the material made Yuri stare in amazement. So much like his lost scales.

He touched the shirt, and it was just as soft as it looked. Yuri walked over to a dresser and put the clothes down on it, then undid the shirt he'd already donned for the day, let it drop onto the bed, then hastily took off his trousers as well.

It was only when he'd already put on his new trousers, fumbling with the buttons, that he caught a glimpse of Otabek's bright red face and wide-eyed stare, and recalled with a small start that humans had this thing about covering themselves up all the time. He grabbed the shirt quickly, rushed to put it on, frustration rising when he found its buttons even trickier than the trousers'.

“Let me.”

Otabek had stepped forward, face still flushed. When Yuri let his hands sink to his sides, the prince carefully closed the buttons for him, still not meeting his eyes.

Yuri gave an involuntary shudder as cool fingertips touched his bare skin by accident, sending sparks racing through him.

Human bodies were truly odd.

Otabek said nothing; if he'd noticed, he wasn't going to mention anything.

“There, all done. You look stunning."

Yuri turned to look at his reflection in the mirror on the wall, smiling a little. He did look good. He brushed his hair back, wondering if he could do something special with it, for the occasion. He turned back to his prince and smiled at him.

“Looks like you like it,” Otabek said, looking pleased, and Yuri nodded. “I need to get changed myself, then greet some dignitaries, but I'll meet you down in the courtyard in an hour.”

Yuri nodded again, and his prince left with a smile on his handsome face.

He spent a good deal of that hour silently cursing while trying to braid his hair – it had been much easier under water. But when he was done, he was satisfied after all, even though his scalp hurt a little where he'd tugged too hard in his frustration.

After that he went down to the courtyard early, trying to ignore the stares that followed him. Groaned, when he heard a too familiar voice call “Yurio!” and glared at its owner.

“Ah, there's that look again.” Duke Nikiforov pulled a mock sad face and it only served to annoy Yuri more. He was with the other Yuuri as well, the two of them inseparable as usual. And behind them was the princess too, arm in arm with her dark-haired countess.

“My, little Yuri, look at you. You're so handsome!” Princess Mila exclaimed, grinning at him.

He glared back, but kept out of her reach, just in case.

When Otabek arrived, Yuri rushed to his side at once, looking him over in admiration. His regal attire for the day was held in auburn, blue, and white, suiting him very well.

The others came to congratulate him, and Yuri looked on impatiently, hoping they wouldn't want to stay with them after that.

He was lucky, though, when Viktor said: “We'll see you for Phichit's show later,” everyone took this as a cue to disperse.

“Are you hungry? There'll be wonderful treats at the fair, shall we have a look?”

Yuri let the prince lead on, even though he was still a little wary of human food. His body needed feeding though, and some of it was actually good.

Whether or not Otabek had picked up on it, Yuri couldn't tell, but he just let Yuri sample everything he got, passing on the things Yuri enjoyed. It was a pleasant experience, all in all. 

They listened to bards, watched jugglers, and a play Yuri found hard to follow, understanding none of the references. Otabek didn't look very interested, either, even though he clapped politely when it was over.

Time and again people approached the prince, to congratulate him and talk to him, and Yuri did his best to stay patient and not give in to the urge to drag his prince off to where he could have him all to himself.

Eventually the time for Phichit's show came, the crowd noticeably larger than for any other attraction they'd attended so far.

They sat on a bench around a large circular area of cleared ground, the duke and his Yuuri on Otabek's other side.

“You could have danced, you know, people would have been delighted.”

“Viktor!”

Yuri looked over at the two for a moment, wondering what that was about, but they didn't say any more, and then music started and the crowd fell silent. The excitement was contagious, even Yuri let himself get swept up in it.  
When Phichit finally walked into the centre of the place, the crowd started cheering wildly. The young man bowed, and without warning swung forward, pushed his feet into the air, and began walking on his hands.

Yuri stared at him in amazement. Walking on his feet had been hard enough to get the hang of, but this!

The audience gasped and cheered as Phichit performed one trick after another, moving just as if he were under water, not up here on the surface at all. He spun across the place, bent in ways that looked downright painful, and all with an air of genuine enjoyment.

Yuri was a little distracted, though, when he shifted slightly, and suddenly felt Otabek's hand on the bench right next to his own. It was the lightest touch, but it made him feel on fire. Just how bold did he feel?

He moved, his small finger only, let it rest on Otabek's, who didn't pull away. Yuri smiled, eyes still on the act, fingers rubbing gently against the prince's. Felt himself flush when suddenly the prince moved his hand, entwining their fingers.

The rest of the show was a bit of a blur, his heart beating hard, the world narrowed down to where their palms touched.

It was a little disappointing when the show ended and they had to get up, reluctantly letting go of each other.

Everyone else was too distracted, showering a glowing Phichit with compliments, to notice that they were both rather flushed.

The prince, too, congratulated Phichit, who beamed and bowed. After that, they were walking between the stalls once again, Otabek silent, but with a smile on his lips, close enough that sometimes his arm brushed against Yuri's.

“I hope you've been having fun?” he asked after a while. 

Yuri gave him a smile and a nod.

“No need to pinch me yet?” 

Yuri shook his head, grinning.

“Good. I'm... thank you for coming with me. Would you like to rest before the ball, go some place quieter? It might be a long evening.”

Upon Yuri's further affirmation, Otabek took him down to the beach, where they sat on the dunes, looking out at the sea, long blades of grass effectively hiding them from view.

“I feel like I've known you for a long time, is that strange?”

Otabek was looking out at the waves, and Yuri sighed and leant his head against the man's shoulder.

“I'm very happy you're here.”

The prince put his arm around him, and Yuri moved even closer, when a movement out on the water caught his eye. He scrambled to his feet, staring intently at the now calm sea.

“Yura?”

There was nothing anymore, no matter how hard he looked, but he could swear that for a moment he had seen a familiar blond head breaking the surface. Then the word registered, and Yuri looked down at Otabek, blushing. He shook his head, he'd probably not really seen anything, after all, and slumped back down, putting his arms around the prince for good measure.

If Otabek was confused, he didn't inquire any further.

“I hope 'Yura' is alright, I knew you didn't like the nickname Viktor suggested...”

Only for you, Yuri thought as he smiled his assent. For a long time they just sat there quietly, arms around each other, Yuri trying to gather the courage to kiss Otabek, but before he'd found it, the prince said:

“It's getting late, we should head back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look, I managed to write a chapter that isn't just a thousand words for once! Not very dramatic yet, but we're getting there.
> 
> Thank you so much for all the kudos and comments! 
> 
> And if you like my fics, there's a chance you'll like my [YOI sideblog](https://down-to-figure-skate.tumblr.com). Wink wink. (Frequently nsfw, though. edit: Okay, I just had a look at it - "frequently" might be an exaggeration. Sometimes nsfw.)


	11. Chapter 11

As the crown prince, Otabek was used to social gatherings of various kinds, but he'd never enjoyed them much. It was different with Yuri by his side. Everything was. Even this ball might be sufferable.

The entire day he hadn't been able to get the sight of Yuri stripping gracelessly right in front of him out of his head. Propriety dictated he look away, but he found he could not. He'd seen Yuri naked before, of course, the day he'd found him, but the situation could not have been more different.

It had been easy to pinpoint the exact moment when Yuri had realized he was doing something odd, by his slight blush and the way he'd grabbed the shirt, fumbling with its buttons.

Yuri was strange and endearing, and Otabek found he could no longer deny that he was in love. What would he do if he ever found the courage to tell him, and if by some small miracle Yuri requited his feelings? Otabek scanned the ballroom full of people, and eventually found Princess Mila.

What should he do?

"Beka! We've hardly seen you all day."

He turned to smile at his mother.

"Did you enjoy the fair?" the Queen asked, requiting his smile.

"Very much so."

He felt Yuri beside him stiffen when his mother turned to look at him. 

"You look dashing today, Yuri."

The boy blushed at the words and bowed deeply. Otabek wasn't certain what his parents thought of the young stranger he'd picked up on the beach, apart from giving their assent to his residing in the castle, but right now his mother gave him a genuinely kind, if slightly amused, look.

"The ball will start in a few minutes, dear. As the guest of honour, it'll be your duty to open with the first dance." She raised her eyebrows and looked at Otabek meaningfully. "Princess Mila would certainly enjoy being asked to dance."

He had to stop himself from giving her an exasperated look, just nodded. With an encouraging smile, his mother turned away, to welcome more guests, and Otabek looked at Yuri. He had the urge to just grab him and drag him onto the dance floor, but Yuri's eyes were still on the Queen, before he turned to him, gave him a sad smile and jerked his head in Mila's direction. When Otabek just frowned, Yuri gave him a push.

With a last confused glance at Yuri, Otabek walked over, and asked the princess to dance.

*******************

Yuri didn't want to watch. He bit his lip at the feeling of bitter disappointment welling up inside him.

He couldn't even explain his decision, but he just knew Otabek ( _Beka_ , his mind whispered) would have asked him to dance, possibly causing a scene right there and then. He didn't want to be the cause of that. It had been such a good day so far, he could wait a little longer.

But he most definitely did not want to watch.

As the first notes of unfamiliar music floated over him, Yuri turned on his heels and fled onto a balcony.

The sun had set, and the night air was cool, pleasant on his too hot skin. He stepped up to the railing, craning his neck to catch a glimpse of the moonlit sea. The balcony was large, running around a corner, and Yuri, wanting the see more of the calming view over the ocean, followed it, freezing at the sight that greeted him when he turned the corner.

At the far end of the balcony, the Duke and his Yuuri were wrapped around each other, the latter pushed against the wall by the other, kissing fiercely, hands roaming underneath each other's shirts.

Yuri stood fixed to the spot, brain blank, when suddenly the other Yuuri turned his head and opened his eyes, looking right at him.

"Viktor!" he squeaked, pushing the duke back.

Viktor, too, turned to look at him, bemused at first, then visibly taken aback, while Yuuri hastily closed his shirt.

"Yurio. How... unexpected."

Yuri finally found he could move again, face on fire, and backed away, positively running around the corner. 

Right into Otabek.

"Hey."

He frowned at the look on Yuri's face, tilted his head up gently with a single finger.

"What's wrong, Yura?"

Viktur and his Yuuri chose that moment to walk around the corner, too, passing them.

"I'm really sorry, Yurio," the other Yuuri muttered, not looking at him. Viktor just patted his lover's head, gave Yuri a shrug as he walked past, and the two of them vanished inside.

The prince look down at him.

"Did you walk in on them, uhm..."

Yuri closed his eyes and nodded once.

"They're impossible." Otabek sighed. "I was hoping you'd like to dance, actually."

Yuri looked at him, throat dry, face even hotter than before. But he took the prince's hand and pulled him close, leaning his burning face against broad shoulders, the music just loud enough to hear out here. 

They swayed gently for a while, the prince's fingers stroking his hair, and Yuri was sure he'd soon burst with sheer longing. He lifted his head, touched Otabek's cheek with his fingertips, and the prince leaned down to him, until...

"Beka?"

Yuri took a startled step back instantly, and the prince turned, just as the Queen stepped onto the balcony.

"Mother?"

The impatience in the prince's voice was hardly subtle, and Yuri smiled a little in spite of everything.

"What are you hiding out here for? You're the reason for this ball, come back in. We've got something important coming up."

The expression on Otabek's face said it all, but still he muttered "sorry" to Yuri as they walked back inside.

He watched as the Queen pulled her son into the centre of the room, where the King, too, was waiting, and to Yuri's growing foreboding, Princess Mila as well, standing beside the man, looking apprehensive.

"Ladies and gentlemen, dear guests from near and far, we're very happy all of you came to join in on Prince Otabek's birthday celebration." There were polite cheers and applause, before the Queen continued: "Tonight, though, we'll have a second reason to celebrate. We are very happy to announce the engagement of our son to Princess Mila of Babicheva."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As my notes at this point say: _Dun dun dun_
> 
> Thanks again for all the comments and kudos, they mean a lot to me. ♥


	12. Chapter 12

It had been a lovely day. The past few days had all been wonderful. Mila couldn't remember the last time she'd had as much fun as she had with Sara.

Even though more often than not they couldn't shake Michele off, and he was not happy with his sister spending a lot of time with someone who wasn't him. Or even paying someone else a lot of attention.

It irked her. Twin siblings were often close, she knew, but the way he behaved was a lot more like a jealous lover. And she could see it bothered and embarrassed Sara.

The one time Mila had mentioned it to Sara, though, she'd shrugged it off, but for a while after she'd been rather glum. So Mila hadn't brought it up again. And she'd tried to be polite, as best she could, and that was hard, because she wanted to tell him in very pointed words that his behaviour was out of line. 

She wanted to spend time alone with Sara. Once the prince's birthday would be over, Sara wouldn't be staying for too long, and while Mila did not want to think about it, it kept looming over her.

They'd been to the fair for the prince's birthday, only the two of them, for once. Sara had explained that she'd told her brother in very clear terms that she wanted to spend the day with her, which had Mila beaming, stomach aflutter.

So they'd had eaten lots of treats, made fun of various bad singers and actors, and to Mila's astonishment, Sara had taken first prize at an archery contest, while Mila herself had missed the mark magnificently, too proud of Sara to be bothered by her defeat. 

Yes, it had been a lovely day, and when the time for the ball came, Mila was thinking about nothing more than asking Sara to dance, but before they could enter the ballroom, a voice called Sara's name. Mila sighed inwardly.

“I need to talk to you. Alone.” At the last word, Michele gave Mila a pointed look, and at Sara's small, apologetic nod to her, Mila went inside without her, hoping that Sara would follow soon.

It came as a surprise when Prince Otabek asked her to dance. After all, he hadn't shown much interest in her in the last few days. But then he didn't look very keen when she let him take her hand and they stepped onto the dance floor, to cheers and applause from the other guests.

“Excuse me for being so blunt, but why ask me to dance when you obviously don't want to?”

He blushed at the words.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...”

“If you want to dance with Yuri, you should go and do so.”

If possible, Otabek blushed even more.

“I believe he did not want me to disappoint my mother, who suggested we share this dance, you and I,” he muttered.

Mila nodded. 

“I see.”

They waltzed slowly in rather embarrassed silence, until the prince said:

“Is it really so obvious that I like him?”

“A blind man could see it. And I don't mind, if you've been under the impression...” Mila faltered. Other couples were starting to spin around them, and she did not want to have this conversation where everyone might overhear. “Let's talk about this later. I think we need to sort a few things out.”

He looked almost relieved, and she smiled. Obviously the entire charade had been bothering him, too.

They finished, him bowing and her curtseying, and he rushed off as quickly as he could, to find his beautiful little friend, she was sure.

Mila looked around, and finally spotted Sara at the far end of the room, giving Mila a look that was hard to read. Michele beside her looked smug, and that didn't bode well. She just wanted to make her way over to them, when she was suddenly being addressed by none other than the King.

“My dear Princess Mila, would you be so kind as to come over here with us for a moment?”

There was no way she could decline.

Mila watched, first in confusion, then growing trepidation, as the Queen approached, beaming at Mila, followed by the scowling prince. 

When the Queen spoke, Mila had the absurd urge to run off, but her feet and dignity just wouldn't let her.

"Ladies and gentlemen, dear guests from near and far, we're very happy all of you came to join in on Prince Otabek's birthday celebration. Tonight, though, we'll have a second reason to celebrate. We are very happy to announce the engagement of our son to Princess Mila of Babicheva."

In the ensuing chaos, the one person she wanted to talk to above everyone else was conspicuously absent. It was hard to figure out what to do, with everyone cheering and congratulating, and all she wanted was to get away from it all and talk to Sara.

Otabek's face at the announcement had almost made her laugh, if she hadn't felt just the way he looked, like someone had hit her over the head with something heavy. Apparently no one had told him beforehand, either.

Eventually, after what felt like ages, Mila managed to flee the scene.

She spotted Michele after scanning the crowd, and rushed over to him.

“Where is your sister?”

He gave her a cold look.

“Why do you want to know?”

Mila was not normally a violent person. Not very, in any case, but right now, it was hard not to punch his smug face.

She grabbed him by his collar instead and pulled him close.

“Where?”

Michele huffed, glaring, but spat out: 

“Her room, probably. She's not happy about having been led on, you know?”

She let go of him and made her way along corridors, up stairways, until she stood in front of Sara's room. She knocked hesitantly, still trying to parse Michele's words.

“Go away, Mickey!” 

Mila gave a small laugh at that.

“It's me, Mila.”

Silence.

Then the door opened a crack.

“What do you want?” Mila heard the hitch in Sara's voice, even though she couldn't see her. “Shouldn't you be with your fiancé?”

Before Mila could reply, Sara burst out:

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Sara! No one asked me if I wanted this engagement, and I'm sure the same goes for him. Please let me in.”

The door opened, but Sara was adamantly staring at her feet as Mila walked in.

“Are you serious? You knew nothing about this?” she whispered.

“Well – no one said anything. But it was obvious that our parents liked the idea. I wanted to tell you, but then I just didn't feel like talking about it, because I realized I don't want to get married to him, and I just didn't want to face all this. And he doesn't want my either, anyway, he wants his little Yuri.”

She bent her knees a little, just so she could look up into Sara's down-turned face, heart aching when she saw the tear tracks on it.

“Sara...”

“What do _you_ want, Mila?”

Mila swallowed hard, heart racing, suddenly.

“I still want the same thing I wanted when I was twelve,” she said softly, brushing tears off Sara's face. “And judging by your reaction to all this, I'd say you might just be a little interested?”

It would have been a sweet and wonderful first kiss, if Mila hadn't still been standing awkwardly, with her knees slightly bent, and if she hadn't lost balance right when Sara threw her arms around her, pulling Sara down with her as she toppled over backwards.

“Oh my god, Mila, are you alright?” 

Mila snorted.

“Sure, nothing hurt, just my dignity. Come here.” She pulled Sara down and kissed her in earnest, feeling Sara smile into the kiss.

“What about your parents, though?” Sara asked a long moment later. “I'm not royalty, just a countess – will it be enough?” 

“Don't worry about it. I'll figure it out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I (in)sincerely hope you weren't expecting an Otayuri chapter... (✿◠‿◠)
> 
> More drama next chapter though! Probably Wednesday ~~unless I don't survive my dentist's appointment tomorrow~~.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early chapter! ~~Dedicated to my dentist, who is sick, meaning I get to live another few weeks.~~
> 
> What better than broken hearts and drama for Valentine's?

Yuri wasn't sure how he had ended up in the courtyard again, the only thing he knew was that he'd needed to get away from the crowd, the chaos. Too many people, too loud, too hot, and no way to get to Otabek.

The announcement of his prince's engagement had been a blow, a hard one, and for a while Yuri didn't know what to think, how to feel, his mind blank.

But when he was finally alone, sitting underneath a dark, vaguely comforting night sky, breathing deeply, the numbness faded and Yuri found he could slowly begin to sort out the mess in his head, and heart, going through the events once more, as calmly as he possibly could.

And his first thought, desperate in its intensity, was that his prince couldn't want this. He hadn't looked happy at the announcement. Not at all. 

And he'd almost kissed Yuri just a moment earlier. Had come to dance with him. Had spent all his free time with Yuri, not the princess.

This couldn't be happening.

He had to talk to Otabek, really talk, but how could he without a voice? Gestures only got you so far.

So he just sat there for a long time, alone with his confusion, until he started shivering in the cold night air, and decided that the only reasonable thing to do would be to find his prince, so he finally went back inside.

Yuri wasn't certain how long he'd sat out there in the dark courtyard, but as he scanned the ballroom, his prince was no-where to be found. Maybe he'd already withdrawn to his chambers? He couldn't see the duke or the other Yuuri, either, but the idea of looking for them and finding them in another compromising situation made him grimace in distaste. 

Yuri gnawed on his lower lip, then made up his mind, turning on his heels, and climbed several flights of stairs, until he was on the right floor.

And heard his prince laugh, followed by a low, female voice.

From the darkness of the stairwell, Yuri peered around the corner, freezing at the sight of his prince and Princess Mila, standing right in front of Otabek's room's open door.

Smiling at each other.

And then the princess hugged Otabek, and kissed him on the cheek, and still his prince was smiling at her.

Perhaps not his prince after all.

Quietly, Yuri slunk off.

His feet knew where they wanted to go all by themselves, it seemed, carrying him down to the beach. He didn't feel cold any more. He felt nothing.

Once he thought he'd heard something behind him, but when he wheeled around, staring owlishly back up the path to the castle, there was no one there.

The beach, when he finally got there, was completely deserted, beautiful in a way that made Yuri want to scream.

Irritably, he wiped at his tears, then walked along a pier, until he was right at the end, kneeling down, hands sinking into the cold water.

It was so much colder than it had ever felt when he'd been a merman.

Tears began to fall in earnest now, and there was nothing he could do against the sobs that wrecked his body. The pain was worse even than the morning he'd turned into a human. Different, but so much more intense than any pain he'd ever felt. He just wanted it to end, wanted to stop being.

He'd given up everything, home, family, voice, and for what?

“Oh Yuri.”

Startled, he almost fell forward into the water. He blinked, then grimaced at the familiar face just above the waterline. The way Chris looked at him made him turn away in shame, he didn't need his pity. Had never needed it.

“He won't have you?” Chris guessed, voice low and kind.

Yuri sprang to his feet, he didn't want to hear 'I told you so', or how stupid he had been. He already knew.

“Prince Yuri, wait!”

He stopped, turning half back to where Chris had swum up to him.

“There's a way for you to come back. Hear me out.”

Yuri slumped back down onto the weather-worn planks and looked at Chris, eyebrows raised.

“I've been coming here for days to find you. I saw you once or twice, but you weren't alone.”

Yuri nodded curtly. So his eyes hadn't been playing tricks on him earlier after all.

“There was quite a commotion after you'd vanished. It wasn't too hard to figure out what you'd done, and how. Your father was angrier than I've ever seen him. He challenged the sea witch. No one was hurt,” he added quickly, as Yuri's eyes widened. “The witch just gave in at some point and agreed to work on a spell that would turn you back, under the condition that she be left alone. The king isn't angry at you, not anymore. He just wants you to come home.”

Yuri just frowned and nodded, indicating for Chris to continue.

“You might not like the spell, but please, just consider it. For you own sake as much as your family's.”

He held up something firmly wrapped in kelp, offering it to Yuri, who took it, loosening the wrapping curiously.

“Careful, don't cut yourself, my prince.”

Yuri stared at the dagger, made, if he was any judge, from a single piece of jade. It didn't feel right in his hands. Too warm, considering it had been in the cold water for a while. And oddly hostile. Yuri shuddered.

“You can return to us. You'll turn back into a merman, regain your voice, but you'll have to kill your prince. His lifeblood, spilled by this dagger. It's your only option. Please don't dismiss it right away.”

Whatever Chris said, at the words Yuri immediately had the intense desire to throw the dagger into the sea. But he didn't. He took it, and with a last glance at Chris, who was giving him a long, hard to read look, he started walking back up to the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some Chris, too, because it's his birthday!


	14. Chapter 14

Yuri opened the door quietly, slipping into the semi-dark room. The moon was shining in through the windows, so even though his human eyes were not good at seeing in the dark, he could still see enough.

He had not come right away. Even though he'd never seen many guards in the castle, walking around holding a dagger had not seemed like a very bright idea. The fair, or what remained of it, had looked like the most likely place to find a way to solve this problem, so he'd made his way across once more, trying not to think about how happy he'd been when he'd walked between the stands with Otabek. Eventually he found some canvas and rope, from a tent that had already been taken down, he assumed, and Yuri wrapped the dagger as best he could, before tying it around his waist, where the fall of his shirt hid it from view.

After that, there had been no more need to tarry.

The prince was lying on his bed, asleep, as far as Yuri could tell. He approached, feeling the press of the dagger where it was sheathed against his hip.

Why was it so easy to get into the prince's room at night? Why were there no men to guard the room?

Yuri frowned at the figure on the bed, stood there in raging silence for a long time.

Who was he trying to fool? He would not, could not, kill Otabek. Every fiber in his body was resisting the idea.

Instead he sank to his knees beside the prince's bed, took a look at the young man and gave a silent start as a pair of dark eyes suddenly met his gaze.

“Yura.”

The softest whisper, making Yuri swallow hard. He had no excuse for being here, and even if he had, there was no way to tell him. How long had Otabek been awake, anyway?

The prince sat up, still looking at him.

“You had me worried, Yura. Believe me, this was not how I wanted the evening to go... I went looking for you, but you were nowhere to be found. Where were you?” He reached out and stroked Yuri's shoulder. “And you're freezing. Were you outside the whole time? You'll catch your death. Come here.” 

Yuri was glad it was dark, as his face was heating up when Otabek lifted the blanket and looked at him, waiting for a response. After a moment's hesitation, Yuri climbed into bed next to him, heart beating so hard he was sure Otabek could hear it.

They both lay down, facing the other, with enough space between them to avoid accidental touches. Nevertheless, the blanket and mattress were warm where Otabek must have lain before, and only then did Yuri realize that he was indeed shivering with cold again.

“I still know so little about you,” the prince muttered, eyes never leaving Yuri's. He gave him a brittle smile. Otabek was so close, it would be nothing to move a little closer, touch him, let his fingers run through his hair.

“Your eyes, though... I could swear I've seen them before the day I found you on the beach. It may sound ridiculous, but when I almost drowned...”

Yuri stared at him, wide-eyed, moving a little closer without even realizing what he was doing.

“Someone saved me. I was barely conscious, but I felt a presence. When I awoke on the beach, someone was leaning over me. Someone who was gone when Mila found me. Everyone I've mentioned it to says I was delirious, but when I looked at you that first moment, recognition hit me like a physical blow, even though I couldn't place it at first. Then I remembered. But it can't be.”

Yuri felt himself tear up again, wanting to tell Otabek that he was right so much it hurt.

Otabek frowned, reached out and wiped a tear from Yuri's cheek very gently.

“It was you, wasn't it?”

Slowly, Yuri nodded.

_And now you're getting married to someone else, but even if I'd known, I wouldn't have changed a thing._

His fingers settled on the hand that was still resting softly against the side of his face, held it there, the small contact alone making his heart beat hard once more.

Otabek didn't say anything, just watched him intently.

Yuri turned his head very slightly, still keeping the prince's hand in place, and let his lips brush over his fingers.

There was no resistance, no pulling away in shock or disgust.

Then tentative fingers were ghosting over his lips, his cheek, and Yuri turned back to find Otabek still watching him with the same intense gaze as before.

“Yura.”

It sounded so breathless, so full of longing, that Yuri threw caution to the winds, moved closer and pressed his lips against Otabek's.

But he pulled back almost at once, to gauge the prince's reaction.

The slow, soft smile spreading on Otabek's lips made Yuri feel weak, and when the prince opened his arms, Yuri sank forward, let himself be wrapped in a warm embrace.

His lips were on Otabek's again, soft, chaste kisses, fingers caressing his head, running through his hair. It was the most wonderful sensation imaginable, and when the prince's lips parted slightly, he didn't hesitate to let his tongue slip into Otabek's mouth, tasting him deeply.

The soft touch, the gently motions of tongue against tongue sent sparks through him, making parts of his odd new human anatomy stir.

Otabek's hands caressed him, travelled over his back, to his waist, and down to his hips.

Touching the dagger Yuri had all but forgotten.

He jerked back instantly, staring at Beka's confused, slightly dazed expression.

“Yura, what's wrong?”

Yuri sat up, trying to figure out how to do this, how to explain without words.

He held up his hands in front of him, and Otabek watched, frowning.

“Stop?” he asked.

Yuri shook his head.

“Wait?” the prince kept guessing. Yuri thought about it, then nodded. He had meant something rather like 'Please hear me out', but this would do.

“Alright.”

Slowly, for the prince to see, he pulled the jade dagger from its makeshift sheath, struggling a little with the wrapping. Then he held it out to Otabek, offering it to him. 

The prince didn't reach for it at first, instead he leant over, reached for something on the bedside table, and, rendering Yuri briefly blind, he struck a match and lit a lamp. The first time he'd seen this, Yuri had hardly believed this wasn't magic, but now he barely cared.

He just watched as Otabek finally took the dagger and inspected it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've particularly enjoyed all comments on the last chapter - I didn't reply, because what could I have said that wouldn't have been a spoiler? But they gave me life! Muahahah.  
> Be assured though that nothing I'll ever write will have a sad ending, I just can't do that. Real life's sad enough.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly love reading your reactions to this, they make me very happy. :D

“Have you come to kill me?”

It was hard to tell if it was meant as a joke, with how serious Otabek was, but nevertheless the words had tears running down Yuri's face again, as he shook his head vehemently. It was a nuisance, really, saltwater spilling from your eyes without volition, giving you away so easily. He hated it.

“I'm sorry, Yura, it was a joke,” Otabek muttered, reaching out for him, and Yuri let himself be pulled close again.

The next second, the prince cursed, hissing, and when Yuri leant back and took a look, blood was dripping from Otabek's hand.

He stared at it, feeling sick, then spotted the dagger where the prince had dropped it.

“It's nothing, just a cut,” Otabek said at the pained look Yuri gave him, but Yuri took the dagger, scrambled off the bed and staggered over to the window. He pushed it open and threw the dagger out, watching it drop into the dark water below.

For an instant he just stood there, breathing hard.

“Yura?” Otabek had gotten up, looking worried, and Yuri just wanted to walk over and pull him close, when his knees gave way without warning.

He fell down, pain searing through him, not unlike his human transformation. But this couldn't be. He hadn't killed Beka, there had only been a few drops of blood.

He hardly felt the prince's arms around him, barely noticed that there was some sort of commotion in the room, while spasming and shaking in pain. Sobbing, because he didn't want to return, wanted to stay human. With Beka.

“NO!”

Only after he'd calmed down, when the pain had gone and he'd had one brief look down his body, seeing legs, still, not a tail, did he finally realize that it had been him who'd screamed.

Otabek was caressing his hair, murmuring softly against his temple, holding him close, and Yuri croaked:

“Beka.”

His voice was weak, sounding odd in his ears, but it was there.

The prince stared at him, face pale.

Then Yuri finally noticed the other two men in the room, and frowned.

Eventually Viktor cleared his throat.

“Why are you here?” Otabek asked, almost harshly.

“Is he alright?” Yuuri said softly.

“I'm fine, I think,” Yuri whispered, too shaken even to snap at him.

“Your fishy friend kidnapped my Yuuri!” Viktor burst out, glaring at Yuri.

“What?”

Yuri pulled himself up with Otabek's help, taking in the state the other two were in. Wet, both of them, and dirty. Disheveled.

“What are you talking about?” Otabek asked, still holding Yuri close.

Yuuri frowned at them, then said:

“I followed Yurio down to the beach. I was worried about him, he looked like...” Yuuri shook his head. “And I saw... that creature. I overheard them talking, it sounded like... I thought Yurio might try to harm you, from what I overheard.”

“Creature?”

“A merman!” Viktor wrapped himself around his lover, rather like a squid, Yuri thought unkindly.

“His name is Chris. What did you do to him?”

“To him? He tricked Yuuri into coming close, then overpowered him and wouldn't let him go. If I hadn't found them, Yuuri might still be there.”

“He didn't want me to warn you,” Yuuri said to Otabek. “But I don't think I was in much danger. He could certainly have drowned me, but he just kept apologizing instead. Quite civil, actually.”

Viktor huffed.

“He's alright then?” Yuri looked at his namesake, who nodded. 

“Makkachin bit him, but not very hard. He swam off fast enough.”

Yuri was glad. Chris might be a smug idiot a lot of the time, but he'd been kind, too, had only wanted to help.

“Yura, will you tell me everything?” the prince just asked, still holding Yuri close, squeezing his hand gently.

“If my voice keeps up, I'll explain everything.”

“You two should dry yourselves and get warmed up, I'm sure you're cold. I appreciate your concern and efforts, but I trust Yura. We can talk in the morning.”

Viktor looked like he wanted to protest, but Yuuri just turned to him, took him by the hand and with one last long look at Yuri, he dragged his lover away.

“You scared me so much right now. What happened? Are you really well again?”

Yuri turned around to look at the prince's serious face. The pain was indeed gone, though he felt weak and shaky.

“I believe so.” He could still only whisper, but it was enough.

“Your voice is so much deeper than I'd have guessed.”

A small smile. Yuri reached out and traced it with his fingertips, then he pulled Beka back to the bed. They sat down, Yuri holding the prince's hand in his, while he tried to figure out where to start.

“So – a merman?”

“It's what I am, what I was.”

He expected some sign of disbelief, but Otabek eventually replied:

“There are many stories about merpeople in these parts. Sailors firmly believe, but most people think they're fairy tales. But after I'd survived my accident – I already told you I felt a presence. I've been thinking about merpeople a lot ever since.”

“It was me. I pulled you out of the water. I didn't want you to die.”

And then he told him everything, voice growing more hoarse by the minute.

“I never wanted to kill you. I was so desperate after seeing you and Princess Mila together, though, I thought... but I'd never have done it.”

Otabek frowned, then said:

“We're not getting married, you know?”

Yuri stared at him, wide-eyed.

“But you were hugging and you looked so happy.”

The prince laughed softly.

“We were happy because we'd finally found the guts to admit we didn't want this. Mila will be marrying Countess Crispino, who she fell in love with years ago. And I...”

Yuri stared at him, heart beating hard.

“I might wish to forge an alliance with a nation hitherto unknown. Marry a beautiful prince, if he wants me.”

He lifted Yuri's hand to his lips, kissed it softly.

“I want that very much. Not sure about that alliance, though, my father...”

He was cut off with a kiss.

It was shorter than Yuri would have liked, but Beka stroked his hair and said:

“You've been through an ordeal, it's been a long day, let's get some sleep.”

For a moment, Yuri wanted to protest, before realizing that underneath all the excitement he was actually stone tired.

And sleeping curled up against Otabek, without all the worries he had entertained in the last few weeks, was the most peaceful experience he'd ever had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was wondering for a bit if this should be the end of the story, but then decided to wrap the whole thing up nicely with a few more chapters. This is proving a little harder than I thought, but I hope you'll still stay tuned.  
> I'm also planning on doing a few more side stories and whatnot for this au-verse.


	16. Chapter 16

Otabek awoke that morning from the tickle of hair against his face and opened his eyes slowly, lips curling into a smile at the sight of Yuri nestled against him, still sound asleep.

He had no desire to ever leave his bed again, and the thought that a difficult conversation with his parents was waiting for him didn't change this feeling in the least. 

Then again, better sooner than later.

He brushed Yuri's hair out of his face, kissed his forehead gently, and the boy stirred, green eyes fluttering open.

“Beka.”

“How are you?”

“Happier than you could imagine.” His voice was still soft, but less hoarse than the night before.

“Oh, I don't know about that. I think I'm feeling the same.”

Yuri moved closer and pulled Otabek against him.

“We don't have to get up, do we?” he muttered.

“Hmmm... I'd love to stay here, like this, but I want to talk to my parents as soon as possible. That is, if you still wish to marry me? I don't think I've asked properly.”

Yuri laughed against his shoulder. 

“Yes, if that wasn't clear before. I do.”

“Then I should get the more unpleasant business over with as soon as possible.”

Yuri sighed as Otabek moved away.

“Do you want me to come?”

Otabek turned and blinked at the sight of Yuri sprawled on his bed, feeling his face grow hot.

“Beka?”

“Gods, you're beautiful.”

Yuri snorted.

“Focus. I want to come with you, if you need me. I'll even try to be polite.”

Otabek thought about it for a moment, moved by the words. He hadn't even thought about getting Yuri involved in this. But then – he was involved. 

“I'm not yet used to being an... us. But yes, I'd be grateful if you came with me. I've no idea how to explain to them that you were – a merman.”

Yuri frowned as he got up and combed his fingers through his hair ineffectively. He was still wearing the previous day's outfit, rather wrinkled now.

“We will find a way to prove it. We should go down to the beach later, see if Chris is around again. He'll have to break the news to my father. He won't be happy, either. Anyway, how's your hand?”

Otabek looked down at the cut. There was a faint, dull throb there he'd been able to ignore quite well until now.

Yuri walked over and took a look at it.

“It bled a lot for such a small wound.”

He took Otabek's hand in his and placed a kiss right next to the cut. Otabek took a deep, sharp breath.

“Does it hurt?”

“No, but if you keep this up, I'll never find the resolve to leave this room.”

Yuri laughed and let go reluctantly. 

“Fine, fine, no touching until unpleasant matters have been dealt with.”

****

“Let's not do that again.” 

Otabek laughed, in spite of the harrowing half hour that had just passed, and put his arm around Yuri.

“It didn't go all badly.”

“I don't know, this was... my father usually just shouted at me, I could ignore that. Or shout right back. But they were so... Disappointed and confused?” Yuri grimaced. “They think we're both mad.”

“Well, as I said, few people actually believe merpeople exist.” Otabek stroked Yuri's cheek and was rewarded with a kiss to his hand. “Will you be able to convince any of them to show themselves, do you think?”

“I hope so. Come on.”

They walked down to the beach, fingers brushing against fingers every now and then.

“Are you cold?”

“It's fine. Unless you want to warm me up?”

Otabek blushed, but put his arm around Yuri's shoulders.

“Perhaps.”

“I'm very cold, then.” Yuri winked, and let himself be pulled off the path, to a small cove, where they spent a few minutes getting warm indeed.

Eventually though, they made their way down to the shore.

“Chris?” Yuri coughed and cursed softly, his voice was apparently not strong enough to call out. He looked to Otabek next to him on the pier. “Would you?”

So Otabek called out to the merman he didn't even know, oddly excited at the thought of actually seeing one. He believed Yuri, every word, but seeing one would still be something else entirely.

“So you didn't kill him. In all honesty, I didn't expect you to.”

The voice came from underneath the pier, and Yuri knelt down and bent forward until he could peer beneath it upside-down.

“You can come out, you know?”

“In broad daylight?” Chris frowned at him from the shadows. “Wait, your voice... what happened?”

“I didn't kill Otabek. But he cut himself on the dagger. Then I threw it into the sea. No idea what actually happened.”

“Hmmm.” Chris' eyes narrowed and he muttered: “Maybe because he bled, maybe because his blood touched the water? Part of the spell is definitely broken.”

“You don't say.” Yuri rolled his eyes.

Chris just raised his eyebrows meaningfully.

“I think I liked it better when you couldn't speak.”

“A pleasure to meet you.” Otabek had knelt down next to Yuri and was looking upside-down at Chris as well.

“The two of you look ridiculous. So you're his prince?”

“Prince Otabek, this is Christophe. He is,” Yuri waved a hand, “my father's aide. Chris, Prince Otabek. My fiancé.”

“I see. Enchanted.” It was hard to tell if he was being serious or merely facetious. “And I will have to deliver the joyous news, yes? The king will be so pleased.”

“He should be. Think of the trading opportunities. There must be things he wants from humans. What better than an alliance?”

“My, my, when did you grow up, my prince? I have already thought about it. It's the only way I can think of presenting this positively. He won't care, though. At least not at once. He'll react emotionally. You're his son, that's what'll matter.” Chris heaved a sigh. “But it's not like I have a choice.”

“Thank you, Chris. I mean it. Oh - I heard you got hurt last night?”

“That weird animal bit me.” Chris moved forward a little and showed them a bite-shaped bruise on his arm. “I hope I did not inconvenience the human unduly, though. I didn't know what to do, I saw him when you left and called out to him. I only meant to deter him.”

“He was fine when I saw him last night. Cold though, humans feel the cold much more distinctly than merfolk. Seems he liked you, weirdly enough.”

Chris chuckled.

“Not the other one, though. He was ready to kill me for constraining his lover. They were interesting, I must admit.”

Otabek cleared his throat.

“Christophe, would you be prepared to, uhm, show yourself to my parents? They were not very inclined to believe Yuri's story. Proof would help a lot.”

Chris heaved another melodramatic sigh.

“Why not? Do you want me to perform tricks, too?”

“Please don't.” Yuri reached out and patted Chris' head. “Thank you. Oh, and Chris?”

“What else?”

Yuri looked shy, all of a sudden.

“If he isn't mad at me, too, and if he can make it – do you think my grandfather might come here?”

“I shall ask.”

They agreed to meet again the next day, and Chris was off.

“I really want you to meet my grandfather,” Yuri said as they stood up again. Otabek watched the faint blush and slightly wistful expression on his face and took his hand again.

“He means a lot to you?”

Yuri nodded.

“He practically raised me.”

“Then I'm looking forward to meeting him.”

Yuri pulled Otabek close and kissed him. 

“This is all really happening. It feels like a dream.”

“I know.” Otabek cupped his face and kissed him again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do hope this clears up the question why Yuri got his voice back. It's because Otabek bled and the blood on the dagger touched the water, which broke a part of the spell, though not all of it. ~~It's definitely not because I just wanted to write way too much dialogue again.~~
> 
> Only one more chapter, officially, for this story. Though as I said, I've got a few more things planned.
> 
> Also come check out my [ YOI tumblr](https://down-to-figure-skate.tumblr.com), where I post a lot of Otayuri, when I'm not screaming into the void about other people's glorious fanfiction.
> 
> And as always - thank you so much for commenting and kudo-ing, it means so much to me. :D


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who has kudo'ed and commented along the way. I know I always say this, but it's true - it means the world to me. ♥

The King and Queen had agreed to come down to the beach with them the next day, though they still looked doubtful.

Chris was nowhere to be seen yet as they got to the pier, and Yuri spent a few minutes internally panicking, while the royal couple cast each other meaningful glances. Otabek was squeezing his hand, though, and Yuri leant against him, taking a deep breath.

“What if...”

There was no need to finish the sentence.

The Queen gave an audible gasp when first one, then another head broke the water.

“Grandfather!”

Yuri felt his tears well up again, but wiped them away impatiently. He sank to his knees and bent forward as much as he could without losing balance and falling into the water. It didn't matter if he got a little wet though, so he threw his arms around his grandfather's head.

“Yurochka.” The old merman gave a long-suffering sigh, but stroked his hair. Yuri was hardly paying attention to the awkward introductions being made next to him, he had faith in Chris' abilities to charm anyone, and just leant his cheek against his grandfather's, holding on to him tightly.

“I love him, dedushka, I can't help it. Don't hate me,” he whispered.

“Yura, I could never hate you.”

After another moment, he pushed Yuri off, gently enough, and said:

“And this is your prince then.”

“Sir. It's a pleasure to meet you.”

Yuri felt a smirk tug at his lips as Otabek went bright red and stiff next to him.

“I hope for your sake that you're good to my Yura.”

“Nikolai, he's already petrified, don't scare him further.”

Yuri gave Chris a sharp look, then took Otabek's hand again.

“This is Prince Otabek, grandfather. Beka, my grandfather, Nikolai.”

Otabek knelt down as well.

“I won't let anything hurt him, sir. I love him, I want to be at his side forever.”

His own blush now creeping up on him, Yuri watched the way Otabek and his grandfather looked at each other for a moment that stretched almost unbearably, before his grandfather broke into a smile.

“Call me Nikolai, boy.”

Otabek nodded, relaxing noticeably.

“And these are the king and queen of your lands?”

The prince's parents still seemed stunned, but had enough grace to be polite and greet the old merman. Yuri let the pleasantries wash over him, cherishing the moment, with Otabek at his side and his grandfather watching them with a small, indulgent smile. He felt only a little sad at the thought that it wouldn't be easy or happen often, the three of them in one place. But his grandfather would visit now, and wasn't angry with him, and appeared to like Otabek and would-

“... come to the wedding?”

His head turned so sharply, he heard his neck crack, and looked at the Queen.

“It should be held at the beach, so Prince Yuri's guests will be able to attend. That means you will have to wait until early spring at least. Enough time to plan and make arrangements.”

All the men were staring at her, and the Queen raised one eyebrow elegantly.

“Since this is obviously going to happen, we might as well go over the arrangements already. Sooner rather than later, in any case.”

“Mother...” The tears in his prince's eyes were unmistakable. “Thank you.”

She sighed and patted his cheek. Yuri could swear he heard Chris chuckle.

“You've rarely asked for anything, even as a child. We went over your head with the plans for you and Princess Mila, and that was a mistake. You can make your own decisions. I can see how much he means to you.” 

“Well said,” Yuri's grandfather agreed.

“He is a prince, at least. Though if I understood correctly, his king might not be happy with the engagement?” The King looked from Chris to Yuri and then his grandfather.

“He will come around,” the old merman said. “He'll rage for a few days, then get sentimental. You'll have his blessing in a week. It might be grudging, but he'll mean it.”

His grandfather's assessment had been on point. No more than a week later, the merking visited, gruff and short-tempered, snorting at the sight of Yuri's legs, but in essence he was not unwilling to concede.

He'd cast Otabek dour glances throughout and would hardly acknowledge his presence, but Yuri had noticed that the prince was a lot less tense than when he'd met his grandfather.

“Now I know where you get your scowls from.”

Yuri glared at Otabek as they made their way back up to the castle. It only made his prince laugh.

“It's not too late to cancel this wedding, you know?”

“And break my poor heart into a million pieces?”

Yuri kept glaring at him, but it was hard to keep it up.

“You're a horrible sap.”

“Says the one who sold his voice and changed his whole way of life for a chance to be with me.” Otabek grinned at him.

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

It was a challenge easily accepted, with a shove and another, until Otabek was pushed against a tree, and Yuri's lips found his, hard at first, still under the pretense of being angry, but softening the moment gentle hands brushed through his hair, lips opening for him, and he all but melted into Otabek until he had no idea where he ended and his prince began.

“I love you,” Otabek muttered against his hair, once they'd broken apart for air.

“I love you, too.” 

\- THE END -

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I managed to wrap things up nicely! 
> 
> If you're wondering what else I've got planned for this series - I've been asked to tell Viktuuri's backstory in this AU by bellsofoz, and I'll gladly oblige.
> 
> Also I want to write about the wedding - or perhaps both weddings? Not sure about Sara and Mila yet, I'd have to invent a whole new setting, but Yuri and Otabek's wedding definitely.
> 
> After that I'll probably be done with this AU-verse, since I've got so many other YOI story ideas. I might come back to fairy tale retellings though. 
> 
> As usual, here's my [YOI tumblr](https://down-to-figure-skate.tumblr.com/), my ask box is open, anon is on, so come talk to me or suggest something for me to write if you like.


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